Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down on luck by chance, caress her head off at the boogaloo trance
With his hands in his pocket he could not lie
With his hands in his pocket he began to cry
With his hands in his pocket he lowered his eye
He said "miss i guess i ought to apologize, I've been fallin', I'm falling down"
Now brother get the dirt off your hands, it's getting darker than a sun-chaser's the sun tan
With his hands in his pocket he could not lie
With his hands in his pocket he began to cry
With his hands in his pocket he lowered his eyes
He said "miss, i guess i ought to apologize, I've been fallin', I'm falling down"
With his hands in his pocket he began to cry
With his hands in his pocket he could not lie
With his hands in his pocket he lowered his eyes
He said "miss, i guess i ought to apologize, I've been fallin', I'm falling down"
The song "Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone" by Gomez is a poetic exploration of the power of love and the vulnerability of the human condition. The first stanza of the song emphasizes the emotional impact of love as being more significant than even the comforting warmth of a musical instrument like a trombone. The image of a "two-tone brother" blowing a trombone softly emphasizes the importance of conveying emotions through music. The second half of the stanza introduces the concept of finding comfort or solace in dancing, represented by the "boogaloo trance."
The second stanza goes deeper into the complexities of human emotion, highlighting the conflict between honesty and the fear of being rejected or judged. The lyrics describe a man who is "falling down" but unable to be honest about it until he is finally forced to apologize, represented by the line "with his hands in his pocket." The song then moves to a metaphorical image of a river filled with "lovelorn souls" getting deeper and deeper, representing the challenges of love and relationships that can be overwhelming and intense.
Overall, the song represents a powerful examination of love and all of the challenges and complexity that come with it. The use of rich metaphorical language and carefully crafted descriptions creates a poignant and powerful message that will resonate with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is better than a warm trombone, when blown, softly by a two tone, brother
Love is more satisfying than the sweet sound of a trombone played gently by a skilled musician
Down on luck by chance, caress her head off at the boogaloo trance
Feeling unlucky and uncertain, he finds comfort in dancing with his partner at a lively party
With his hands in his pocket he could not lie
He was unable to deceive anyone with his hands in his pockets
With his hands in his pocket he began to cry
Overcome with emotion, he began to weep with his hands in his pockets
With his hands in his pocket he lowered his eye
He looked down in shame with his hands in his pockets
He said "miss i guess i ought to apologize, I've been fallin', I'm falling down"
He admits to his mistakes and asks for forgiveness
The river of your lovelorn souls is getting deeper than the deepest dish washing bowl
The pain and sadness felt by those in love is growing deeper with time
Now brother get the dirt off your hands, it's getting darker than a sun-chaser's the sun tan
Clean up your act before things get worse
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, BENJAMIN JOSEPH OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind